Commencementset for May 16, 17

The University Park campus will hold its spring 2003 commencement ceremonies for associate, baccalaureate and graduate degree students on May 16 and 17.

As of late April, 6,664 students are scheduled to receive degrees at the University Park ceremonies. That figure includes 12 associate, 5,748 baccalaureate, 682 master's and 222 doctoral degree students.

Systemwide, Penn State will graduate a total of 9,464 students -- approximately 746 with associate degrees, 7,147 baccalaureate degrees, 1,311 graduate degrees, 96 medical degrees and 164 juris doctorate degrees.

Elder is the Howard W. Odum distinguished professor of sociology and research professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he co-directs the Carolina Consortium on Human Development and manages a research program on life course studies. Elder will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters and will be the speaker at the College of Health and Human Development commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 17, in The Bryce Jordan Center.

Kozol is a noted author and critic of the inequalities in American society and has championed the rights of the poor and underserved in the United States and the need for society to provide equal access to education and resources. He is author of a number of award-winning books such as "Death at an Early Age," "Savage Inequalities: Children in American Schools" and "Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and Conscience of a Nation." Kozol will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters and will speak at the College of the Liberal Arts commencement ceremony at noon Saturday, May 17, in The Bryce Jordan Center.

The full University Park commencement schedule follows:

May 16

* 8 p.m.: The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences commencement ceremony in Eisenhower Auditorium. John Cahir, vice provost and dean emeritus for Undergraduate Education and professor emeritus of meteorology, will speak.

* 8 p.m.: The College of Engineering commencement ceremony in The Bryce Jordan Center. Mary Jane Irwin, distinguished professor of computer science and engineering, will speak.

May 17

* 9 a.m.: The College of Agricultural Sciences commencement ceremony in Eisenhower Auditorium. Colien Hefferan, Cooperative State Research administrator in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Education and Extension Service, will speak.

* 9 a.m.: The College of Communications commencement ceremony in Rec Hall. Gerald Abrams, chairman of Cypress Point Productions, will speak.

* 9 a.m.: The College Health and Human Development commencement ceremony in The Bryce Jordan Center. Glen Elder, honorary degree recipient, will speak.

* Noon: The College of Arts and Architecture commencement ceremony in Eisenhower Auditorium. Ben Cameron, executive director at Theatre Communications Group Inc., will speak.

* Noon: The College of the Liberal Arts commencement ceremony in The Bryce Jordan Center. Jonathan Kozol, honorary degree recipient, will speak.

* Noon: The Eberly College of Science commencement ceremony in Rec Hall. Monica Morrow, professor of surgery at the Northwestern University Medical School and director of the Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, will speak.

* 4 p.m.: The College of Education commencement ceremony in Rec Hall. Judith Ramaley, assistant director of the Education and Human Resources Directorate at The National Science Foundation, will speak.

* 4 p.m.: The Smeal College of Business Administration commencement ceremony in The Bryce Jordan Center. John Surma, vice chairman and chief financial officer at U.S. Steel, will speak.

* 4 p.m.: The School of Information Sciences and Technology commencement ceremony in Eisenhower Auditorium. State Sen. Robert Jubelirer, president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate, will speak.